Church Heritage Record

Church Heritage Record 3665

  • Home
  • Churches
  • Help
  • Contact
  • About
Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentAudit

St Lawrence, Gumfreston (Former Church)

Name:

The name or dedication of the church.

St Lawrence, Gumfreston (Former Church)
Record Type:

This identifies the church type. Most churches are parish churches which means they serve a specific parish or area. Other types such as chapel, daughter and mission are mostly historic designations as many are now also parish churches. Please note that former churches are no longer used for worhsip and may be in private ownership.

Parish Church
Church code:

A unique identification number given to every church.

3665
Diocese:

The name of the diocese in which the church is located.

St Davids
Archdeaconry:

The name of the archdeaconry in which the church is located.

St Davids
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Please enter a number

Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

There are 3 levels of listing: Grade I, II* & II. The majority of buildings which are of special interest are Grade II. A much smaller number of particularly important buildings are listed as Grade II*. Buildings of exceptional interest (approx 2% of the total number of listed buildings) are Grade I.

This is a Grade II* Listed Building
Scheduled Monument?

Ancient monuments and archaeological remains of national importance are protected by law. Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service is responsible for compiling a schedule (list) of these ancient monuments, some of which can be found in churches and churchyards. Examples can include churchyard crosses and the archaeological remains of previous churches or buildings on the site.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons. These protect 20 percent of the land in Wales, including precious landscapes, habitats, villages and heritage sites. 

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

There are over 500 conservation areas in Wales. They are designated by local planning authorities for their special architectural and historic interest.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

Please enter a number

Buildings At Risk Status

On Buildings At Risk Register?

The Buildings at Risk register is managed by Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) in order to identify the number and type of listed buildings at risk in Wales. 

This church is not on the Buildings at Risk Register
 **************

Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

It is often extremely difficult to determine a precise date of construction for a church as many have been extensively altered over time. Church Heritage Cymru therefore shows a date range within which a church is believed to have been constructed. The dates are as follows: Early Medieval (pre 1066), Medieval (post 1066 to 1540), Post Medieval (1540 to 1837), Victorian/Pre WWI (1837 to 1914) and Modern (post 1914).

Medieval

Exterior Image

The Church of St Lawrence Gumfreston
Caption:

The name/dedication of the church and its location.

The Church of St Lawrence Gumfreston
Description:

A brief description of the image

Looking towards the north elevation.
Year / Date:

The date the image was created.

2005
Copyright:

Details of any copyright are displayed here.

Humphrey Bolton
Originator:

The name of the person who uploaded the image.

Tina Andrew

Summary Description

This is a very brief summary of the church's main features. More  detailed nformation can be found in the other fields and pages (tabs) in this database.

The Church of St Lawrence is located on a small wooded sloping site in the hamlet of Gumfreston overlooking the coastal town of Tenby in the distance. There are three ancient wells at the bottom of the churchyard which drain into the Rhydeg (Ritec), a narrow watercourse which runs down to the sea. The wells are thought to pre-date the modest church whose building history appears to be quite complex, with odd little features and a mixture of architectural styles. The church is entered via a western porch straight into the nave, which has a small semi-circular recess in the north wall and a panel showing a faint wall-painting thought to be St Lawrence. The base of the north tower forms a small transept with a large passage-squint into the chancel. There is a tiny south chapel and a tomb or Easter Sepulchre in the west wall. The oldest part of the church is probably the chancel arch (12/13C) and possibly the nave. The small south chapel dates to 14/15C and the tower to 15/16C. Restoration in 1869 by the architect Thomas Graham Jackson (best remembered for his work in Oxford and at the University) earlier in his career, included buttressing the south wall and nave roof with arch-braces and crown-posts. References: Pevsner Buildings of Wales - Pembrokeshire and Cadw list descriptions for St Lawrence (5958) and holy wells (17130).

Visiting and Facilities

Useful information is displayed here for people wishing to visit the church. This may include things like opening hours, catering & toilet facilities, parking, etc. 

The church is open for worship.
Work in progress - can you help?
 **************

Church Website

Church Website:

If the church has its own website the details will be displayed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Sources and Further Information

Any further sources of information for the church will be listed here (eg. links to other historic databases).

View information on worship and access at this church on the Church In Wales web site
RCAHMW (2004) Coflein http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/300432/details/ [Digital Archive/Document]
A description of the church in the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) Coflein database.
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/
DAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?watprn=DAT3687 [Digital Archive/Document]
The HER description from Dyfed Archaeological Trust for the Church of St Lawrence.
DAT (2016) Historic Environment Record http://cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?watprn=DAT3668 [Digital Archive/Document]
The HER description from Dyfed Archaeological Trust for the wells in the churchyard.
Tina Andrew (2005) The Church of St Lawrence Gumfreston [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
The Church of St Lawrence Gumfreston
Church of St Lawrence looking towards the tower.
Cadw (1996) Historic Wales Report (5958) http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=5958 [Digital Archive/Document]
The listed building description for the church of St Lawrence Gumfreston.
Cadw (1996) Historic Wales Report (17130) http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=17130 [Digital Archive/Document]
The list description of the three wells in the churchyard of the church of St Lawrence.
Tina Andrew (2003) Plan of St Lawrence's Church, Gumfreston [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Plan of St Lawrence's Church, Gumfreston
() Brecon Cathedral [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Brecon Cathedral

This is the Ordnance Survey (OS) reference for the location of the church. Some locations will be approximate as this data is continuously being refined and updated.

Grid Reference: SN 109 011

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Church address

Address
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
St Lawrence Gumfreston Tenby SA70 8RA

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

This is the name of the Local Authoirity within which the church is located.

Sir Benfro - Pembrokeshire

Location and Setting

This describes how the church relates to its immediate and wider environment, sometimes called its setting. It describes how the church contributes to its landscape or townscape and how these things collectively contribute to the character of the area.

Gumfreston is a small hamlet located to the north-west of Tenby, one of South Pembrokeshire’s most popular historic seaside towns.

The medieval grey stone Church of St Lawrence stands on a small wooded sloping site, overlooking the coastal town of Tenby in the distance. There are three ancient wells at the bottom of the churchyard which drain into the Rhydeg (Ritec), a narrow watercourse which runs down to the sea. The land immediately adjacent to this small river is mostly marshy and this continues along its course until it meets an area known (not surprisingly) as The Marshes, just to the west of the town.

The area around the church is predominantly agricultural with wide open fields interspaced with small clusters of buildings. To the east of the Church lies the Old Rectory built in 1873 and now a private residence. To the north and across the B4318 is Gumfreston Farm, a sprawling collection of mixed buildings of various heights and exterior finishes, mostly hidden by roadside hedges. A little further down the road towards Tenby, two modern one and two storey corrugated iron, stone and wood dairy buildings can be seen on the left-hand side of the road.

Church Plan

Plan of St Lawrence's Church, Gumfreston
Caption:

The name/dedication of the church to which the plan refers.

Plan of St Lawrence's Church, Gumfreston
Description:

A brief description of the plan. eg. who created it and where it came from.

Ground plan of the church showing the semi-circular recess in the north wall of the nave and the squint between the Tower Chapel and the chancel. The dark shading on the plan represents the earliest building fabric (12th century).
Year / Date:

The date the plan was created.

2003
Copyright:

The details of any copyright are displayed here.

Mike Salter
Originator:

The name of the person who inputted the plan.

Tina Andrew

Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

This is a description of the ground plan of the church.

Work in progress - can you help?

Dimensions

If known, the dimensions (measurements) of the church ground plan will be displayed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

If the footrprint (area) of the church is known, it will be displayed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Description of Archaeology and History

A description of the history and archaeology of the church and its site.

The Church of St Lawrence has often been identified as the birthplace of St Teilo in the 5C. This association may have arisen because the cult of the saint was centred around nearby Penally, which is now regarded as his birth-place. The church stands in a small valley just above three ancient wells, thought to pre-date the church. The low narrow chancel arch of the present building suggests a C12 date. The nave, chancel and the S chapel are probably of the C13, and the first documentary reference is in 1291. There was originally a S door to the nave. Later porch and tower. Early C19 illustrations show the nave roof had been replaced with a low-height roof, leaving its original gable walls at E and W curiously upstanding like high parapets. The rounded projection in centre of the N wall of the nave, opposite to the original doorway and possibly originally a baptistry, was at this time used for a stove with its flue through the roof. A stove pipe is shown on an 1855 drawing. There was a restoration under the Rev G N Smith in 1870, with very little attempt to impose C19 ideas of correctness. The E door to the S chapel, now used as a vestry, is dated 1870. The nave was heavily buttressed and a new timber roof installed. The simple Tudor windows of the nave were retained. The mass concrete vault of the tower was probably part of this restoration. The font was moved to its present position in front of the recess of the supposed baptistry.

The proximity of the wells to the church suggests this is a clear instance of a Christian site chosen in the early medieval period to absorb an earlier pagan well-cult. The three wells form a small group, apparently originating in two natural springs. It was customary to drop bent pins into the water to mark the end of Lent as late as the 17C. The practice was called 'throwing Lent away'. The wells are thought to have healing properties and some attempts were reputedly made by fashionable physicians in the C19 to promote these on medical grounds for invalid visitors to Tenby.

Note: the above are extracts from the list descriptions of the church and wells which can be seen in the Sources & Information section at the bottom of the Core Details page.

Exterior Description

A description of the exterior of the church and the main features of the churchyard.

St Lawrence is a low, narrow church with a large tower on the north side. The west porch has a round-arched doorway. There is a small chapel to the south of the chancel. The nave, chancel and south chapel are built in limestone rubble masonry with remains of render on the north face. The tower and the porch are of uncoursed hammer-dressed masonry. At the foot of the walls of the chancel and the south chapel there is a slight batter. Three large buttresses support the south wall of the nave. Behind the middle buttress there is a blocked door aperture with a pointed head. The roofs to the porch and the south chapel are of low pitch with thick slates. The slates of the porch have been rendered over. Elsewhere, the roof pitch is steep with tile ridges and sandstone gable copings on kneelers. At the north side of the nave there is a small circular projection, also slate-roofed. There are square-headed windows in the south wall of the nave, with stone surrounds and mullions. Two-light trefoil headed windows in the south wall of the chapel. Round-headed porch door.

The tower has a battlemented parapet on a corbel table. The stairs turret is at the north-east corner, lit by loops. The belfry has double square-headed lights facing north, east and west. It formerly had large square-headed windows with mullions to each storey but these are mostly blocked or reduced in area.

At the west of the churchyard is the ruin of a cottage which was formerly a school and was probably originally a priest's house. Stone churchyard wall with gate and stile. At the south corner of the churchyard are the wells, which are separately listed.

Reference: the above is an extract from the list description of the church which can be seen in the Sources & Information section at the bottom of the Core Details page.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Information about any noteable architects, artists, people, or events associated with the church.

Who:
Thomas Graham Jackson
Role:
Architect
From:
01 Jan 1869
To:
31 Dec 1869
Contribution:
Jackson restored parts of St Lawrence’s Church early in his career in 1869, when he buttressed the leaning south wall and added the roofs, including the nave roof with its arch-braces and crown-posts, and the oak furnishings and pulpit.

Building Fabric and Features

Information about any important features and building fabric.

Work in progress - can you help?

Building Materials

If known, a list of the church's major building material/s will be displayed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Interior Image

Work in progress - can you help?

Interior Description

This section gives a general description of the interior of the church. Further details of any important internal fixtures and fittings will be listed below.

Small vaulted chancel with a single-lancet east window. Small square window in the south wall with a single sedile and piscina. Against the chancel-arch wall are stone benches with encaustic tiles on the floor. Large pavement-tombstones at each side of the altar. To the south of the chancel is a chapel in which plain cross-ribs have been added to disguise a vault of conventional barrel form. Low and narrow chancel arch.

The nave has a C19 timber roof with two large tie beams. Oak pews with pulpit at the south-east corner. A high-level slit window in the west wall of the nave suggests there was once a gallery in the nave or a loft to the porch.

The north transept or tower base is roughly vaulted in mass rubble concrete with shuttering marks. In the east wall is an arched recess possibly for an altar and a niche. A large passage-squint joins the transept to the chancel. In the west wall is a tomb or an Easter Sepulchre. A circular staircase in the north-east corner leads to the tower. The 2nd and 3rd floors of the tower have been removed. There are sockets and projecting corbels for these missing floors. The 3rd storey was used as a dovecote: there are four rows of seven nesting holes. The 4th storey has a modern belfry floor.

The porch contains benches at each side. Over the door is a statue niche and a small high-level light into the nave. There is a water stoup in the south-east corner.

Note: the above is an extract from the list description of the church which can be seen in the Sources & Information section at the bottom of the Core Details page.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

Information about the church's important internal fixtures and fittings. 

Skip Navigation Links.
Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
STAINED GLASS (19C)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

Information about the church's important moveable items and artworks.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecology

A description of the ecology of the churchyard.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

Information about the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has the following evidence of bats: During the last quinquennial inspection (2014), one hibernating bat was seen in the tower turret. A number of droppings and debris were also noted on the turret stairs, possibly indicating the presence of more than one bat.

Burial and War Grave Information

Records whether the church has been consecrated.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there have been burials in the churchyard.

The churchyard has been used for burial.

Records whether the churchyard is still being used for burials.

It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?

Records whether there are any war graves in the churchyard.

It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves. Work in progress - can you help?

National Heritage Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Parish Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Parish Church

Churchyard Structures

Any important churchyard structures will be listed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

High
Setting Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship of the church to its surrounding area and helps place it within its wider landscape context.

The Cadw description of St Lawrence's Church describes it as a simple church retaining its medieval character, with a very large tower, a well-lit interior and an early chancel, and forming an historically important group with the ancient holy wells. This, coupled with the mainly unspoiled rural landscape around it, makes a notable contribution to its overall significance setting.
Fabric Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Moderate
Fabric Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the significance of the historic building fabric of the church.

The church is constructed of grey limestone rubble masonry with mainly slate roof coverings which blend well with its surroundings.
Interior Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Moderate
Interior Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the historic significance of the interior of the church.

The church has an interesting internal layout. Its most notable features include the wall painting and unusual rounded niche in the north nave wall, the large passage-squint joining the north transept to the chancel and the arched recess in the east nave wall. The C19 timber nave roof with arch-braces and crown-posts and the oak furnishings are by the architect T G Jackson during the restoration in 1869 - all adding to the overall significance level of the interior.
Community Significance Level:

Signifiance levels are set at high, medium and low.

Moderate
Community Significance Description:

Significance defines what is special about a church. This could be architectural, archaeological, historical or liturgical. Here, it describes the relationship between the church and its community. 

The presence of the wells indicate a possible early holy site which would have had great significance to local people and pilgrims. Gumfreston is quite isolated from the nearby larger settlements of St Florence, Penally and Tenby, although it still attracts pilgrims today and the church is open for regular worship.

Church Renewables

Any renewable energy systems the church is using will be listed here.

Work in progress - can you help?

Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

"Seek Advice" Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Parish Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Parish Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Parish Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Parish Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Parish Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Tina AndrewRemoved asset source linkTue 08 Mar 2022 15:42:33
Tina AndrewAdded image of the interior of the buildingTue 08 Mar 2022 15:41:34
Tina AndrewModified asset dataTue 08 Mar 2022 15:34:23
Paul BakerModified asset data - Modified the Asset AddressMon 26 Oct 2020 11:40:34
Tina AndrewModified asset data - Modified the Burial and War Grave informationTue 20 Dec 2016 16:44:15
Tina AndrewModified the information of an Architect, Artist or Associated Person/OrganisationWed 30 Nov 2016 15:53:17
Tina AndrewModified the information of an Architect, Artist or Associated Person/OrganisationWed 30 Nov 2016 15:52:56
Tina AndrewModified asset source linkWed 30 Nov 2016 15:45:40
Tina AndrewModified asset source linkWed 30 Nov 2016 15:45:03
Tina AndrewModified the information of an Architect, Artist or Associated Person/OrganisationWed 30 Nov 2016 15:40:10
First Previous Next Last 
Page 1 of 10 (91 items)
Page size:
Site Map  | Privacy | T & C | © 2014 - 2025 Church in Wales  | Website by exeGesIS SDM | Rev. 2.2.9173.19815
  • Home
  • Login
  • Register